FLINT, MI – Months after murmurs among workers that the Flint Engine Operations plant near the corner Van Slyke and Bristol roads would close by year’s end, workers at the plant celebrated the promise of a bright future Wednesday with the unveiling the 3.6-liter V6 engine for the all-new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup truck.

Flint Engine unveils engine for new 2015 Chevrolet ColoradoGeneral Motors unveiled the engine for its all new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, which will be produced by workers at the Flint Engine plant. The engine -- a 3.6-liter, 302 horsepower (224 kW) V6 engine, with 270 lb.-ft. of torque -- is one of three engines that will be produced for the truck.

“The Chevy Colorado will play an important role in GM’s truck strategy, and here in Flint we play a big part of that role because as (GM North America President Mark Reuss said in the live LA Auto Show broadcast) the high-feature V6 engine is one of the engines that will be available and it will be built right here in Flint,” said Terri Burden, plant manager at Flint Engine.

GM will initially offer the Colorado with two engine options: A standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder estimated at 193 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 3.6-liter V6. The Flint plant will produce a 3.6-liter, 302 horsepower (224 kW) V6 engine, with 270 lb.-ft. of torque for the Colorado.

For the 2016 model year, GM will also offer an all-new Duramax 2.8-liter turbodiesel – “greatly expanding the capabilities” of the pickup truck, according to GM.

“What this does for us is help us maintain our employment levels for many years into the future so we’re very excited to be a part of this and provide the engine for the trucks,” Burden said.

“Obviously if the truck sells and V6 engine is popular it will increase our volume and that’s what we’re hoping for. Everybody has a lot of pride in this engine and everybody’s focused on doing the best for the performance of the company.”

Loyd Hargis Jr., Shop Chairman of Local 659, said that getting this work was a huge victory for the plant and its workers, but it signifies much more than just steady work for the people in the plant. It also serves as a statement of GM’s commitment to Flint.

“It’s great to have this work. We were scheduled to work this year and this gives us at least an added three or four years,” he said.

“It’s starting to sync in and people realize that we have life here and I think people realize that General Motors is back in Flint to stay. People in our plant are just happy to be in the limelight again.”

Hargis said that the shop had to make some changes over the past few months to accommodate for the differences in production between this new engine and the engines that were previously being produced at Flint Engine.

“The oil pan and a few things on the dress up are different, but the rework on the cylinder heads was the main thing. This has a few more horsepower than the engine in the crossovers.”

Workers at the plant said that morale has been really high since they got the news that they would build this engine for the new truck.

Robert Bartholomew, a 45-year GM worker from Mt. Morris, and Joe Duplanty Jr., a Mt. Morris resident who has been working at GM since 2007, said that the work provides the younger workers with a sense of security.

“It was a huge relief. This means we’ll be able to keep jobs here in Flint. They realize that they have good crews in the Flint plants,” Bartholomew said.

“I know the Colorado name has been out, but this truck should appeal to the younger generation –people who want a pickup but doesn’t really want to go for the bigger truck. General Motors is building a good product and the quality has gone way up over the years and hopefully that continues,” Duplanty Jr. said.

He said that GM’s continued investment shows that it is still a place where workers can build futures and careers.

“A lot of younger people are coming into GM and starting families and building careers here. I still think it’s a good place to work and build a career here,” he said.

“There are some management and labor issues that are always ongoing, but they’re working together more and more, but the main thing is keeping the jobs here and continuing to add more. The economy is up and down and there isn’t any industry that you can totally bank on being here forever, but this one’s back on the right track and this investment shows that.”